Publishing patterns at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Elisha Chiware,Lara Skelly

doi:10.17159/sajs.2016/20140220

Abstract

We report on the publishing and collaborative patterns of researchers in the applied sciences and engineering disciplines at a technological university in South Africa, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The study focused on works published over a 10-year period (2005–2014) and was based on citations of peer-reviewed literature from Scopus. The results showed a steady growth in research outputs in science and technology at the university. There has also been a growing trend of international collaboration in certain disciplines. This scoping study serves as a benchmark for similar studies.

Highlights

The aim of this paper was to present publishing patterns of science researchers in the applied sciences and engineering disciplines at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
For the first two groupings, comparisons were made between CPUT, UoTs and South African public universities
The dip in 2014 shows that South African research output is not exempt from the publication lag experienced by others

Summary

Introduction

The aim of this paper was to present publishing patterns of science researchers in the applied sciences and engineering disciplines at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). While the university is not yet classified as a research-intensive institution, its research outputs have been growing since its inception in 2005, which was the result of the merger of two technical colleges. Since 1994, and the subsequent mergers of various institutions in the mid-2000s, the growth and development of research activities in these former technical colleges has been growing, partly as a result of the new mandates of such institutions. The rapid growth of research output at CPUT is a result of sustained efforts to grow the institutional research landscape in response to government’s reorientation of science and technology through: research, technology and innovation policies, strong research governance systems, increased research funding, recruitment of highly skilled staff, research infrastructure development and building synergies within the university’s structures to provide the necessary support to researchers.

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